Episodes explore mindfulness teachings, strategies and science and are released every Friday. Sarah Vallely is the author of four books on the subject of meditation and mindfulness, her most current book, Tame Soothe Dwell introduces a mindfulness practice based in taming the mind, soothing the gut and dwelling in the heart. Sarah also runs a virtual meditation center and trains and certifies mindfulness teachers and coaches. Learn more at http://www.tsdmind.org
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The Aware Mind


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Why Self-love Deficit Disorder is the New Codependence and Other Supports for Relationships After Trauma
15:40
15:40
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In this episode, Sarah introduces a new "disorder" experts are getting behind and spearheading a movement to include in the DSM. Self-love Deficit Disorder shows up when we ignore our own needs to fill other people's needs. SLDD also looks like a struggle to understand what your emotions are and express them to others. These are also the qualities …
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The Aware Mind


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Deescalating Feelings of Anger and Frustration During Times of Conflict with your Partner
28:43
28:43
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28:43
In this episode, Sarah and her guest Stacey Curnow, a licensed couples therapist and relationship expert, break down what happens within our nervous systems when we enter conflict. Learn if it is best to address the issue in the moment or wait until later. Find out what soothes your nervous system and how to help your partner soothe theirs. Stacy d…
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The Aware Mind


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Brene Brown Gives Advice on Healthy Ways to Feel Our Emotions Such as Anxiety, Insecurity and Disappointment and More
21:35
21:35
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21:35
In this episode, Sarah details Brene Brown's latest book "Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience". In this book Brene highlights 87 emotions, explaining what these emotions truly mean and gives advice on what we can do to experience these emotions in the healthiest way possible. Learn ways to minimize…
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The Aware Mind


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Tips for Building Your Sense of Self-Worth with Simple Mindfulness Approaches that Really Work!
30:58
30:58
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30:58
In this episode, Sarah and her guest, Mike Comparetto, unpack what it means to have biases, especially the ones that are self-defeating. Do you know what your core beliefs are? For most people, these beliefs are completely unconscious. However, with mindfulness, you can uncover these beliefs and see how they act as a hurdle to you achieving your go…
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The Aware Mind


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You Don't Need to Work Harder to Soothe Your Anxiety, You Just Need to Work Smarter
29:46
29:46
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29:46
In this episode, Sarah and her guest, Dr. Breese Annable, discuss how awareness of our fears can actually calm our anxiety. It sounds counter-intuitive but asking questions about what the deeper fears are driving your concerns and worry, can actually reduce your discomfort. Worry, over-eating, and hyper-planning are unhealthy responses to fear. Wit…
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The Aware Mind


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50th Episode Celebration! Why Self-Compassion and Self-Validation Will Change Your Life
20:55
20:55
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20:55
In this episode, Sarah shares how a little self-validation can go a long way when it comes to reducing stress. What if the next time you found yourself in a stressful situation, you paused to validate your stress response? "It's understandable that I am feeling stressed, there is a chance I am going to be late for my meeting." Validating yourself f…
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The Aware Mind


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Four Reasons Paying Attention to Body Sensations Eases Us through Difficulty, Including Stress, Panic and Depression
35:28
35:28
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35:28
In this episode, Sarah and her guest, licensed therapist Mike Comparetto, discuss why simple body awareness exercises help us better process our emotions, gain a better perspective and move us through difficult situations in a healthy way. Our psyche comes up with a million reasons to resist our experience. And we usually follow through on most of …
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The Truth about Negative Self-Talk, Shame and Body Image and How to Move Beyond It All
32:02
32:02
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32:02
In this episode, Sarah and her guest, Doctor Breese, discuss what shame feels like and sounds like, especially as relates to negative body image. Learn the differences between negative body image and body dysmorphia and how dieting is often a form of disordered eating. However, with mindfulness, we can wake up to our patterns of thinking and behavi…
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Healing Abandonment and Childhood Trauma with TSD Mindfulness: A True Story
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28:01
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28:01
In this episode, Sarah's current coaching client and guest, Jasmine, tells her story of healing from childhood trauma with the help of the tools provided by TSD Mindfulness practice and coaching. Jasmine grew up in a home with alcoholism and at a young age learned she needed to ignore her needs in order to "keep the peace" at home. Even as an adult…
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The Aware Mind


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Healing Anxiety Caused by Intrusive Thoughts and Worry with Mindfulness
25:48
25:48
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25:48
In this episode, Sarah and her guest, Brianna Cuthrell, discuss how mindfulness can be used to minimize anxiety caused by anxious thinking. 90% of people have intrusive thoughts but it is rare for people to share their uncomfortable thoughts with others. We often experience shame about the thoughts that our minds create, which causes even more anxi…
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The Aware Mind


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Fawning and People Pleasing Responses During Sexual Assault and Uncomfortable Sexual Encounters
33:43
33:43
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In this episode, Sarah and her guest, Sonya Strange, discuss why fawning and people-pleasing is a survival response caused by past trauma. This fawning response can affect every aspect of our relationships including sexual encounters. There is limited information available on the topic of fawning during sex, therefore this is an important episode t…
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The Aware Mind


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Why Knowing Your Enneagram Type Leads to Greater Self-Awareness and More Clarity in Relationships
25:58
25:58
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In this episode, Sarah and her guest, Melanie Haskell, discuss the ways learning about the Enneagram can change your life. The Enneagram is a circle of personality types that identify how people interpret the world and manage their emotions. The Enneagram describes nine personality types and maps each of these types on a nine-pointed diagram which …
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True Stories of Healing Perfectionism with TSD Mindfulness Five-Minute Exercises
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27:58
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In this episode, Sarah and her guests, Ali Sweeney and Marzia Bosi, discuss the ways mindfulness can break down perfectionism into its various parts so you can better manage stress caused by perfectionism. Perfectionism can result in physical symptoms, relationship stress, anxiety and depression. TSD Mindfulness provides tools for healing through p…
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More True Stories of Overcoming Stress, Overwhelm and Negative-Self Talk In Spite of this Crazy World We Live In
36:16
36:16
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In this episode, Sarah and her guest, Emelda De Coteau, discuss the ways mindfulness can reduce overwhelm, feelings of shame and disconnection. They talk about the importance of taking a pause instead of simply pushing through every single moment. What are we missing when we do not acknowledge our difficulty and simply power through instead? Emelda…
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Overcoming Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Mindfulness Mindset and Practice: A True Story
28:22
28:22
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28:22
In this episode, Sarah and her guest, Heather Liv Melver, discuss the ways mindfulness can reduce, and sometimes even eliminate, experiences of anxiety. Heather shares her personal story of how she learned to accept the realness of what she was feeling in the present moment and trust that life will unfold in a way she can feel good about. Heather w…
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When Thinking Becomes a Limitation and Emptiness Actually Feels Good
25:13
25:13
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25:13
In this episode, Sarah and Jacob talk about the three doorways of liberation in the Buddhist teachings, emptiness, signlessness and aimlessness. Kinda sounds like a wondering fool doesn't it? Could it be that forgetting the details of who you are, giving less meaning to your circumstances and reducing your goal-setting are actually all the things t…
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Are You Overscheduled, Do You Struggle with Setting Boundaries, or Have a Fear of Failure?
29:45
29:45
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29:45
In this episode, Sarah and Jacob talk about their personal struggles and triumphs with worthiness. A lack of worthiness can show up in our lives as packed schedules, lack of boundaries with difficult people, a need to be successful, fear of failure or not capable of feeling difficult emotions in a healthy way. Take the "Worthiness Test" with Sarah …
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Overcoming the Biggest Challenges Preventing You From Beginning Your Meditation Practice
23:24
23:24
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In this episode, Sarah and Jacob talk about their personal meditation practices and what they have found to best support them to gain benefit from sitting. One of the most important teachings related to meditation focus on how we handle losing focus. When we meditate we periodically lose awareness and concentration and go into a state of daydreamin…
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Mindfulness Vs Mindset: What We Need to Know About Both to Execute Ideas and Avoid Burnout
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In this episode, Sarah explains that any idea begins in the mind and then is executed. If this is true, then mindfulness of the workings of your mind and your preset mindsets are key to effectively executing any idea. Sarah and Jacob discuss mindful leadership and how this practice can be used by anyone from a business owner, executive, stay-at-hom…
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The Aware Mind


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Kristin Neff on Regular Old Self-Compassion and Fierce Self-Compassion
23:41
23:41
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23:41
In this episode, Sarah and Jacob discuss why we criticize ourselves and why we rather keep this habit instead of being compassionate towards ourselves. Could it be that on a deep level we do not want to give up our self-judgemental thoughts because we believe they are what in fact is keeping us from experiencing something bad in our lives? Sarah an…
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The Aware Mind


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For Those Moments When You Feel Confused, Split between two Desires and Frustrated
23:45
23:45
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In this episode, Sarah and Jacob discuss the ins and outs of internal conflict. Find out what typical internal conflicts look like and healthy ways to address them. Is your internal conflict about opposing needs or trying to be your true self? And is your internal conflict rooted in shame or past trauma? Jacob stresses about getting errands done, f…
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What if Donald Trump Practiced Mindfulness? Yep, We're Going There!
27:05
27:05
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27:05
In this episode, Sarah and Jacob discuss the possible hypothetical outcomes of Donald Trump learning the practice of mindfulness. Would he lie less? Would he treat women better? Would he still have run for president? How would a mindfulness practice change the thinking of someone like Donald Trump? Sarah also shares some revealing research about pe…
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The Aware Mind


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Relationship Expert Esther Perel's Thoughts on Overcoming Relationship Pitfalls with Mindfulness
23:38
23:38
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In this episode, Sarah explains how we can become more mindful and aware of how much space and closeness we need in our romantic relationships and how to gain understanding of how those needs came into being. Sarah shares Esther Perel's views on what it means to have boundaries in a relationship and how to be more mindful when we are making assumpt…
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The Aware Mind


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How Mindful Are You: Take the Online Test Today
25:47
25:47
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In this episode, Sarah outlines five categories that make up a well-rounded mindfulness person. How well do you use language to describe your feelings and thoughts? How well do you move into mental neutrality? How well do you observe your physical surroundings? And how well do you pause before you react? Take the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnai…
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The Aware Mind


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Surprising Trivia Facts that Will Challenge What You Thought to Be True About Buddhism
24:14
24:14
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In this episode, Sarah challenges Jacob's knowledge of Buddhism by testing him with questions most of us don't know the answers to. You might be surprised to learn that reincarnation is not technically associated with Buddhism. And have you ever wondered if the original Buddha was a vegetarian? And have you ever thought about when Buddhist teachers…
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Psychedelics Versus Mindfulness: Who Wins For Treating Depression
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22:38
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In this episode, Sarah and Jacob discuss the proven benefits of both psychedelics and mindfulness for treating depression. You have heard a million times that psychedelics rewire your brain but what exactly does that mean? Sarah shares exactly how Ayahuasca affects our neurology and your mental health. Learn the strikingly similar psychological eff…
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In this episode, Sarah and Jacob discuss the evolutionary reasons for anger and the underlying issues anger presents in modern-day relationships. Sarah explains a process called C.A.R.E. which couples can use the deescalate anger and create a safe space to work out conflict. The tool includes Checking in, Awareness, Reflection and Empathy/Validatio…
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The Aware Mind


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A Review of Jon Kabat Zinn's Master Class on Mindfulness: Four Stars from Sarah
25:57
25:57
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In this episode, Sarah shares some of the concepts Jon Kabat Zinn details in his Master Class. Even better, Sarah and Jacob provide commentary on his various mindfulness topics, including non-judgment, healing versus curing, and acceptance. Did you know the mindfulness definition of acceptance is not resigning to our experience, it is much more tha…
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The Aware Mind


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Academia's Fears About Mindfulness Breaking Down Capitalism and Creating an Ethically Minded Workforce
21:30
21:30
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21:30
In this episode, Sarah offers a variety of arguments against teaching mindfulness in the workplace. Some of these fears include employees having an existential crisis during their workday, or better yet, attaining enlightenment on the job. Jacob and Sarah manage to deliver the academic report between bouts of laughter. But seriously, mindfulness do…
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The Aware Mind


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The Disinformation, Falsehoods and Inaccuracies the Media Is Feeding You About Mindfulness
23:23
23:23
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23:23
In this episode, Sarah and Jacob give their candid opinions about the misinformation and misconceptions journalists, social media influencers, and trained mental health professionals are spreading about mindfulness. Learn the correct meaning of the term mindfulness. Sarah and Jacob also point out the vagueness of the term "non-judgmental attention"…
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The Aware Mind


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What the Research Says About Watching the News and Its Affect on Our Mental Health
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In this episode, recorded with a live audience, Sarah shares the research about the effects of watching graphic news coverage, including bystander video. She also explains the degree to which a 14-minute reel of news can affect your anxiety, level of sadness and catastrophic thinking. And Sarah and Jacob explain what drives us to watch the news in …
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Everything You Wanted to Know About Healing from Trauma But Were Afraid to Ask
26:22
26:22
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26:22
In this episode, Sarah explains what someone typically experiences as a result of trauma, including anxiety, attention issues, difficulty with emotions and more. She shares information on the most popular ways people heal from trauma, including EMDR, therapy, yoga and of course mindfulness. Jacob shares his own personal experiences with these modal…
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Avoid Burnout and Increase Motivation by Developing Your Mindfulness Meditation Practice
22:14
22:14
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In this episode, Sarah explains how to develop your mindfulness skills during your sitting practice, specifically how to take a step back from your own thinking. Moving from being absorbed and engaged in your thinking to being a third-person observer of your thinking is one of the most important skills a mindfulness meditator can develop. If you fo…
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Why the Human Race is Prone to Making Bad Decisions
24:17
24:17
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In this episode, Sarah explains our natural tendency to make mental shortcuts. We do this to save time and effort. Experts name twenty-four different ways we do this that all lead to irrational thinking and bad decisions. For example, if someone is listening to another person speaking or they are watching the news, they are more likely to process t…
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Why Self-Validation is the New Self-Compassion
19:21
19:21
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19:21
In this episode, Sarah shares how a little self-validation can go a long way when it comes to reducing stress. What if the next time you found yourself in a stressful situation, you paused to validate your stress response? "It's understandable that I am feeling stressed, there is a chance I am going to be late for my meeting." Jacob shares an emoti…
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The Dramatic Change Mindful Eating Can Have on your Life
23:07
23:07
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In this episode, Sarah explains the practice of mindful eating. Paying attention to our sensations when we eat, as well, as our thought and emotions around food can have a significant impact on the quality of our diet, our health and our mental health. Sarah leads Jacob through a mindful eating exercise, during which Jacob is surprised by how mindf…
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Learn Your Unique Stress Type and Reduce Your Stress Quickly
27:01
27:01
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In this episode, Sarah describes the seven TSD Unique Stress Types. She also explains which types of mindfulness exercise best support each of these stress types. Sarah diagnoses Jacob with "The Concerned" stress type and helps him see how his choice in mindfulness practices are both helping and hindering his ability to feel calm and relaxed. Sarah…
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Mindfulness can Reduce Physical Pain by 20% to 50% - Seriously!
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In this episode, Sarah and Jacob explore why pain changes our brain chemistry and heightens our emotions, and why this makes our pain worse. Sarah shares mindfulness techniques and self-compassion strategies that can reduce your pain experiences. Additionally, Jacob explains how his personal training clients reduce their pain with mindful breathing…
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Tips and Tricks for Experiencing More Flow in your Life
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In this episode, Sarah and Jacob explore why mindfulness, mental neutrality and humility support us to experience more flow in our lives. Sarah admits she finds it difficult to move into humility personally and gives Jacob a test to see how much humility he practices. Sarah challenges our drive to be above average and redefines what makes us worthy…
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Two Unenlightened Podcast Hosts Try to Define Enlightenment
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24:09
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In this episode, Sarah and Jacob explore the question, "Is enlightenment an isolated experience or a permanent state?" Sarah details her brief enlightenment experiences and argues that a mindfulness practice supports mental health more than "enlightenment" experiences. Jacob details his personal quest to become more enlightened and how his insights…
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Befriending our Fear and Telling our Worry to go...
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23:13
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In this episode, Sarah and Jacob explore the questions, "Are fear and worry the same?" "Are they different?" "Do they have a relationship?" "Can we decrease fear and worry with mindfulness?" Sarah explains how to identify the three components of our fear/worry cycles. Additionally, Sarah analyzes Jacob's fears of flying and snakes and shares practi…
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The Neurology Behind Why Mindfulness Improves Health, Thinking and Mood
24:41
24:41
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In this episode, Sarah and Jacob explore the question "What if I sat and did nothing for a period of time, would I gain the same physical and mental health benefits if I were practicing mindfulness instead?" Sarah shares research about the differences in brain activity when we are sitting and resting versus when we are meditating. Experts claim the…
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Can Mindfulness Help Us Be Less of a Procrastinator
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In this episode, Sarah and Jacob explore research about the connections between procrastination and health issues, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and lowered immunity. Sarah also shares four driving forces behind our procrastination habits--optimism, fear, doubt and trauma. Sarah shares strategies for becoming mindful of the cycles th…
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Why Are My Thoughts So Darn Distracting During Meditation?
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22:54
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In this episode, Sarah and Jacob explore the differences between concentration and mindfulness, and what is important about each of these skills individually and jointly. Sarah also shares some theories as to why we become distracted by our thinking during meditation that could transform your meditation practice. If you follow the strategies shared…
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Self-compassion for Those Moments When We Need it Most
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In this episode, Sarah and Jacob explore the circumstances when we need self-compassion the most. Sarah also explains the mental component of compassion, since it is our own thinking that can get in the way of our compassion. Jacob and Sarah also talk about the work of Kristin Neff, lead researcher in the field of self-compassion, sharing the three…
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Can Mindfulness Stop Hate and End Racism in America?
20:27
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This episode answers questions about whether mindfulness is a viable approach to addressing the problems of racism and implicit bias. Sarah shares much research on the negative consequences of implicit bias and the ways mindfulness helps us become aware of and reduce implicit bias. Learn what structural racism looks like in America and what groups …
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The Making of The Aware Mind Podcast: Our Backstory
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This episode is not one of our typical shows. We usually address topics such as anxiety, depression, and insight in relation to mindfulness. However, this episode was recorded in front of a live audience. Jacob and I tell our story of how we met and how The Aware Mind came to be. If you like “the making of” shows or backstories, then this episode i…
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Mindfulness of Fight or Flight Responses in a Technological World
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24:56
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We have fight or flight responses more than we think. And the science shows that people who do not have anxiety disorders get triggered into flight or flight just as often as people who have anxiety disorders. In this episode learn exactly what triggers us to go into fight or flight in a technological world. Sarah and Jacob discuss the physical, co…
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If you feel like you "can't meditate" this episode is for you. Sarah and Jacob talk about the feelings of powerlessness, hopelessness, and doubt that come up while we meditate. They explain these are all normal experiences and give some tips on how to ease into your practice with more surrender and understanding. Sarah and Jacob also talk about why…
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Is Having an Insight During Mindfulness Meditation a Thing?
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Having insights as a result of a mindfulness practice is a subject rarely discussed in mindfulness communities. In this episode, Sarah highlights research that shows what determining factors set us up to have insights. Does the numbers of years you have practiced matter, does the length of time you sit play a role, and does how frequently you medit…
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